SNAFU!

Sunday, April 12, 2020

Wow. Apparently Turkey really is sending PPE to NATO allies...

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Three Royal Air Force photographers, two from the Photo ACSSU, one from the Joint Air Delivery Test and Evaluation Unit, deployed to RAF Brize Norton on Friday to capture the landing of a Turkish Air Force - TUAF Airbus A400M. . The Türk Hava Kuvvetleri (Turkish Air Force) Airbus A400M flown by the 221st Squadron "Breeze", as part of the 12th Air Transportation Main Base Command, lifted out of Ankara’s Etimesgut Air Base under the call-sign OAN2901, delivering crucial supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical staff, which were delivered for distribution around the country. . Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the following, “The delivery of this vital equipment will bring protection and relief to thousands of critical workers across the UK, as they bravely and tirelessly work to keep us safe." . He added, “As NATO Allies we can always depend on each other, whatever the threats we face.” . RAF bases have been a vital resource during the coronavirus pandemic, with military and chartered civilian flights utilising them to deliver resources and repatriate Britons stranded across the globe. . The delivery by Turkey comes after 37 tonnes of UK aid was supplied by an RAF C-17 last month to those affected by the crisis on its border with Syria. The UK has also received 60 ventilator units from the German army, as it continues to strengthen its resources to fight coronavirus. . Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧🇹🇷. . @royalairforcebrizenorton @royalairforceuk @airbus @airbus_defence @turkhavakkuvvetleri nato #soldier #royalairforce #raf #turkishairforce #cocpit #aviationphotography #aircraft #a400m #airbus #aviation #luftwaffe #airport #airforce #bundeswehr #plane #germanairforce #military #covid19 #coronavirus #corona #virus #covid_19 m #news #covid #stayhome #korona #stayathome

A post shared by RAF Photographers (@rafphotographers) on Apr 11, 2020 at 11:01am PDT

Amazing.

To be blunt, if I didn't see these pics courtesy of the RAF I would never have believed it.

Seems like a certain "controversial" reader of mine is spot on. Glad I kept him around despite the views of a couple of people.

Turkey is stepping up.

Nice to see.

Another bonus? Unlike another so called rising power, their shit seems to work.

Good on the Turks. Now if someone can get FNSS to send me a few models of their vehicles life will be good in the new age of the pandemic (saying that cause you guys do realize that by the time we get a vaccine for this one, another will be rolling out of China).

Saturday, April 11, 2020

PLZ-07B 122mm amphibious self-propelled artillery

Into the Hangar: Episode 1....Video by Cpl. Leilani Cervantes, Cpl. Levi Guerra and Sgt. Charles Plouffe

Open Comment Post. 11 Apr 2020

Fire Breaks Out On China's New Type 075 Amphibious Assault Ship

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Fire Breaks Out On China's New Type 075 Amphibious Assault Ship. The warship, which is the first of the new Type 075 class, was alongside the pier at Hudong–Zhonghua Shipbuilding in Shanghai, when the blaze broke out. #PLAN #Type075 #navalnews #LHD #amphibiousassaultship

A post shared by Naval News (@naval_news) on Apr 11, 2020 at 1:56am PDT

AWESOME!!!!

Breaking: A fire broke out in the well deck of the first Type 075 LHD. pic.twitter.com/xIvuYjP5Sv
— Kushigumo Akane (@K3V1N_ZHU) April 11, 2020

Marines arrive in Boston to help with the Coronavirus fight...

Our @USMC #Marines have arrived in #Boston from @camp_lejeune @MCASNewRiver to assist @TheNationsFirst in the fight against #COVIDー19! @lejeuneglobe @JDNews @wnct9 @WITN7 https://t.co/5LSVnSzGHj
— II MEF (@iimefmarines) April 11, 2020

Hmm.

Marine Aviation? To help fight the Coronavirus? MV-22's instead of UH-1Y's? I don't quite get it.

Quite honestly this really makes no sense to me. I can see Motor T being used to deliver supply by road. UH-1Y's to help supplement the movement of individuals from hospital helipads...even Military Police to help with checkpoints (do they have them in Boston?).

But MV-22's?

The 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade?

What happened to flexible response? If anything cried out for the formation of a "Special Purpose MAGTF" this is it.

Sloppy.

Out of doctrine.

Fitting a square peg into a round hole.

This smacks of "show the flag" more than provide real, desired, and important assistance.

But get used to it Marine Corps supporters. It's gonna get worse going into the future.

By focusing on a conventional fight with China in the Pacific and building a missile/F-35/special ops support force the Marine Corps will more and more see itself left on the outside looking in on all the future needs that our country needs us to help solve.

This is why Berger's concept is so dangerous. We become less useful. If we become less useful then we become an expensive burden.

In the world that is coming, if we provide no value to the nation except in a scenario that is at best a 10% chance of happening then we will be early on the "must cut" board. That's why this New Marine Corps will kill the Marines.

Friday, April 10, 2020

Today marks the 57th anniversary of the loss of the USS Thresher.

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Today marks the 57th anniversary of the loss of the USS Thresher. We will never forget. #ussthresher #ssn593

A post shared by General Dynamics Electric Boat (@gdelectricboat) on Apr 10, 2020 at 10:03am PDT

USMC seeks exit route for tanks

via Shepard Media

After announcing the planned removal of its entire MBT capability in its Force Design 2030 blueprint, the USMC is now working to define how these vehicles will leave the service.

Maj Joshua Benson, USMC director of communication, strategy and operations, told Shephard that this move will occur over the next few fiscal years, although he could not confirm a precise timeframe.

‘For operational security purposes, specific details regarding force design changes will not be made available to maintain a competitive edge over our adversaries and prevent the acceleration of enemy counter-actions due to disclosures,’ Benson pointed out.

He added that many specific details are now being worked by the deputy commandants and the responsible units throughout the USMC.

The M1A1 Abrams MBT is the backbone of the USMC armoured vehicle fleet. The tank is operated by a crew of four and it is armed with a 120mm M256 smoothbore gun, a coaxial 7.62mm M240 machine gun, a pintle-mounted M240 on the turret roof for the loader, and a pintle-mounted .50cal M2HB heavy machine gun on the turret roof for the commander.

In the Force Design 2030 blueprint, released in late March, USMC Commandant Gen David Berger said that removing heavy ground armoured vehicles will not damage the US military, as this capability will continue to be provided by the US Army.

‘We have sufficient evidence to conclude that this capability, despite its long and honorable history in the wars of the past, is operationally unsuitable for our highest-priority challenges in the future,’ Berger stressed.

In his opinion, the USMC has over-invested in other capabilities such as towed cannon artillery and short-range/ low-endurance UAS that are incapable of employing lethal effects.

The USMC will also disband its law enforcement battalions and associated military occupational specialities, as well as all bridging companies.

It will also reduce the number of infantry battalions from 24 to 21; artillery cannon batteries from 21 to five; and amphibious vehicle companies from six to four.

The USMC will reassign the 1st Battalion/8th Marines to 2nd Marines and 2nd Battalion/8th Marines to 6th Marines. In addition, the activation of the 5th Battalion/10th Marines was cancelled although its assigned batteries will realign under the existing 10th Marine Regiment structure. The 8th Marine Regiment Headquarters Company and 3rd Battalion/8th Marines will be deactivated.

US Army designates Long Range Missile and Next Generation Combat Vehicle research programs as essential...

Leaders have designated several research programs, including long-range precision fires and next-generation combat vehicles, as essential for @AdaptingTheArmy for future #modernization capabilities.

Learn more: https://t.co/LsYDxS6dMp #ArmyFutures #Adapt2Win pic.twitter.com/iF2NZCs8OR
— U.S. Army (@USArmy) April 9, 2020

Hmm. I guess a naval force based off missiles and aircraft only needs to partner with the Army on the missile part of this.

Question.

If the USMC is designating long range missile fire as "part of its reason for being" then what happens to the Corps when the Army gets into the ship killing business with missiles as good or better?

Do we then have to have the debate of "the Army can kill ships from land then why do we need a Marine Corps"?

If we fall back aboard ship to launch from then do we have to have the debate "the US Navy kills ships better than anyone, why do we need the Marine Corps"?

Do you get the force of connection here? This idea that the US Marine Corps was a second land Army was pure idiocy on a stick. Amos bought into it because it helped him get the F-35. The others have continued with it for this moment we're seeing.

Make no mistake. This concept is shit on a stick. It WILL end the USMC.

USMC. Born 1775. Killed by bureaucracy (HQMC) 2020. It was a great run though...

The "NEW" Marine Corps. Born 2014. Died ? - it's already virus filled...death is imminent...